Today, many telecommunications users desire virtual circuits (VC) to allow high speed telecommunications. In particular, many Internet users desire digital subscriber loop access and multiplexing (DSLAM) circuits and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) circuit to obtain high-speed Internet access. A DSLAM circuit connects a user to a communications network at a high speed data rate with digital communications. Typically, the DSLAM circuit physically extends between the user and a telephone network office near the user. An ATM circuit connects the DSLAM circuit with the network service provider over an ATM subnetwork. The circuit between the user and the network service provider is referred to as a VC and may be leased or reserved for the user for several hours, several days, or even several years.
Orders for VCs currently fall into two types, a bulk order and an individual order. A bulk order is an order that typically has been placed in advance but is not provisioned until the time the VC is desired. Typically, all bulk orders that are to be provisioned on a particular day are in fact provisioned on such day in a batch process, usually once a day. An individual order is an order that is typically placed at the same time the user desires the VC. An individual order may, for example, be taken over the phone or by way of a network such as the Internet and is immediately placed into a provisioning system through a graphical user interface (GUI) order entry system and may be referred to as GUI order.
In batch provisioning of bulk orders, each order for a VC is provisioned sequentially, one after the other, for example, beginning at a convenient time of the day (for example, midnight). However, and importantly, if too many bulk orders are placed in a batch for provisioning, or if a problem occurs in provisioning orders, orders at the end of the batch may not be processed for several hours, and may in fact still await provisioning at a less convenient time of the day (for example, during business hours). In such an instance, an individual/GUI order may be submitted for provisioning, but it may have to wait for all outstanding bulk orders to complete provisioning before such GUI order can be provisioned. Such wait may take an unacceptably long time, especially for an individual who desires to have his/her order provisioned within a relatively short period of time, such as an individual waiting on the aforementioned phone or waiting for a response over the aforementioned network.
Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for provisioning bulk orders and individual orders, wherein individual orders are provisioned relatively quickly, even if bulk orders from a batch still await provisioning.